


Kaylee Dreams of Pomegranates

by zeldadestry



Category: Firefly
Genre: Community: 100_women, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-02
Updated: 2006-01-02
Packaged: 2017-10-27 14:04:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/296650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeldadestry/pseuds/zeldadestry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's not really hers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kaylee Dreams of Pomegranates

**Author's Note:**

> Written for prompt 002, ‘Middles’ for 100_women Fanfic Challenge

Kaylee dreams of pomegranates. She’s never been lucky enough to have one, but Simon’s told her about them, about the beautiful ruby seeds, about the juice that’s tart and sweet and red as blood, and her mouth’s been watering for one ever since. He promises that the next time they make it to a core planet, he’s going to find her one, two, a whole crate. He says whatever they’ve got, that’s what he’ll buy for her.

Kaylee dreams of pomegranates and of Simon, and Simon is standing across from her and there’s a river flowing between them. All the pomegranates are in Simon’s arms and each time he tosses one to her, smiling, she reaches up her hands to catch it. But every time, when the fruit is flying towards her through the air, River leaps from the water, naked and beautiful, her skin glistening as the bright sun is reflected in the drops of moisture dappling her flesh. It is River who catches the fruit, the gift, the gift that Simon is supposed to bring for Kaylee. But all of Simon belongs to his sister.

There’s this feeling Kaylee gets sometimes, when they’re in bed, like Simon’s not really there beside her. And she knows River’s always on his mind, that he’s always frettin’ about her, but she can’t help feeling it ain’t right, all the same.

Simon never spends the night. He wants to be in his own room, close to his sister in case she wakes, in case she needs him. Kaylee understands. She wishes it could be different, but she understands. River comes first. That’s why she’s so startled when she wakes up in the middle of the night, heart pounding, because she can sense someone’s presence in her room. “Simon? That you?”

“Hoping for a Tam?”

In the dark, River’s voice is like a ghost’s, and goose bumps pop up all over Kaylee’s skin. “You ok, babe?” She sits up, pushes the covers aside. “You need something? Where’s Simon?”

“Dreaming,” River says. River's crouching, and just as Kaylee starts to sweat, feeling cornered, River leaps on top of her, knocking her flat on the bed. River sits on her, using her strength to trap Kaylee’s torso between her thighs and pin her wrists together, holding her still. River's too strong, too rough, her grip bruises. “Dreaming,” she repeats, sweetly, and her face moves close to Kaylee’s, she nuzzles her nose against Kaylee’s cheek, her lips against Kaylee’s brow. “Would you like to know what he’s dreaming?”

“No,” Kaylee whispers, desperate not to hear it.

“He’s dreaming of me. He’s always dreaming of me,” River whispers back, and even a whisper is too loud, startles Kaylee just like a holler of pain. “But he does love you, he does, I promise you,” and now her voice is cooing, soothing, like she doesn’t want to hurt Kaylee, just wants her to understand that she can never come between them.

“But not as much,” Kaylee says, and gorramit, could this please still be a dream? River is not really here, forcing Kaylee to accept her place in Simon’s world, in Simon’s heart. She's not here, she can't be. “It’s not enough,” Kaylee admits.

“No,” River says, and now her lips press against Kaylee’s, a first kiss much less hesitant than Simon's was. River holds Kaylee's face between her hands and Kaylee can't move. It's a dream, it's only a dream, it's more than a dream. Her arms wrap around River, holding tight to never let go. But when she wakes again, she’s alone in her room. Dream or not, either way, the memory of their lips touching sends warmth flushing through her. But far more potent than River’s mouth are the last words that dropped from her lips, words that echo and make Kaylee shiver. “Never enough.”  



End file.
